World Aids Day: Manchester man with HIV tells how new treatment will change lives

For the first time, people with HIV in England and Wales will soon have access to a complete long-acting injectable drug, which can the need for daily treatment from one a day to six times a year.

ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), has announced that eligible people living with HIV in England and Wales will soon have routine access to Vocabria (cabotegravir long-acting injection) in combination with Rekambys (rilpivirine long-acting injection).

This comes as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) gave its approval – the first time an HIV treatment has ever been appraised and approved by NICE.

This means that eligible people living with HIV in England and Wales will soon be able to receive the complete long-acting injectable regimen once every two months, following an initiation phase, as opposed to regular, daily oral treatment.

25-year-old Kieran Yates from Manchester was diagnosed with HIV in December 2017, at the age of 21. Having just completed a degree in biomedical sciences, he recognised a handful of symptoms as HIV. Following his diagnosis Kieran became passionate about understanding HIV further, making a difference in the HIV community and supporting others.

Kieran undertook a Masters in virology at the University of Manchester and, for the past two years, has volunteered for the George House Trust as a Positive Speaker, talking to people in the community about the facts of HIV and his personal story and lived experience, to educate others. Watch our video report to hear more on his story.

How does HIV status affect people’s lives?

In a recent survey carried out among people living with HIV, 60% live in fear that their HIV status will be shared without their consent. More than half (55%) agree that fear of their HIV status being shared unintentionally stops them living their day-to-day life as they would like to, and 56% say they avoid certain social situations as a result.